The art of hacking (Snowfall)
The art of hacking Part three, Mission One, of Snowfall. To Geopaw. Happy birthday! I stare at the box thing. “You don’t know what it even is, do you?” Pi snarls. He sighs. “This is a computer. I have chosen the main one because it contains most of the technical information that can be easily accessed using the right skills.” He stops pacing and sharply turns his head to loom at me. “The grey blob is called a ‘mouse’, and the flat rectangle thing is a ‘keyboard’. Move the mouse with your right paw, and watch the white thing on the screen move around. The mouse controls that white thing, called the cursor.” I gingerly fling the mouse around on the desk. I gasp as the little white cursor on the screen mimics its movements. I move the mouse to the right, the cursor moves to the right. And the same with all the other directions. “You see the two rectangular things on the mouse?” Pi asks me. I nod. “Press down lightly on the left one. But first, make sure the cursor is on the words ‘log in’. You can read, right?” I nod again, still fascinated by the computer. “By pressing down on the left rectangle while the cursor is hovering over something that will change the screen, you are doing something called ‘selecting’. Select the white bar.” I drag the mouse slightly to the right and click the mouse. A flashing vertical line appears on the left side of the white bar. “What do I do now?” I ask. “The keyboard has various letters of the English alphabet on,” he explains. “Press lightly on a square with a letter on, and that letter will appear in the white bar.” I smile to myself and slam a paw on the keyboard. I laugh as a jumble of letters appear on the screen. Pi leaps onto the desk and quickly mashes a button until the letters are gone. “That’s the backspace button,” he explains. “Press it to delete the last letter or number or whatever you’ve typed. Slam a paw down on the keyboard and give it a try!” he chirps. I let out a whoop of joy as I slam my left paw on the keyboard again, then mash the backspace button. “Now type in Admin, then select the lowest white bar,” orders Pi. I search the keyboard for the right letters, then slowly press them, one by one. “By pressing the letters on the keyboard, you are typing.” I nod dumbly to Pi’s lecture, then select the lowest white bar. “The password is too long and complicated to type out without making a mistake, so I did this thing called copying. Press the button ‘ctrl’ and and the letter v.” I laugh silently to myself. This is like a tutorial on a game I once played on a gaming console when visiting another cat’s house. Good times. “Select the blue thing saying ‘log in’.” I almost choke trying not to laugh as I select the thing. Pi purrs and shoves me off the desk. “Good,” he purrs. “I’ll take it from here. And I almost forgot,” he meows, chucking a heavy book at me. “Read this. It was written by a friend of mine, a very skilful hacker.” I look at the title. Hacking 101, by Delta. '' “Read it. I expect you to be here after breakfast. Oh, and if you have any questions, you’re bound to find a cat wandering around the school. I assume you have many to ask.” Pi shoos me out of his office. “Say goodbye to your friends, Nuts, I doubt you’ll be seeing them again.” Something about his words makes me shudder. I jump as the door slams behind me. Snarl and Silence sit by the entrance, smiling. “We’ll be going now,” he meowed. “If we hear any news on the local radio station about the school, then we’ll be here in a jiffy to make sure you’re okay.” He licks my ears. “Now go and explore. Find out as much as you can.” “I won’t let you down,” I meow determinedly. Snarl nods, and he silently slips outside with Silence leaning against him for support. The book looks pretty interesting. I start to read it outside Olga’s room. “Are you alright, dear?” she asks. “I’m reading a book that Pi gave to me,” I meow. Olga tutted. “You’d better read it somewhere else. You’re not supposed to come here unless you want to see Sir or me. How about the library? I’m sure after a few minutes of wandering a cat will find you and tell you where to go.” I groan and walk away. ''Why are these cats so unhelpful? I turn left and right, occasionally peering into a room. They all look the same: chairs, tables, a table at one end of the room with some stuff on it, and sometimes a cat resting on one of the tables, glaring at me to continue walking. After peering in to my 100th-or-something room, I bump into a cat. “Woah,” he says. “Are you new?” I nod. “Where is the library?” The cat purrs. “Right this way,” he meows, and starts running down a corridor. “Don’t peek in a classroom unless you want to get an injury, or caught. Understand? And I’m Jack, by the way.” Jack is white with brown spots. Older than me, by the look of him, but maybe it’s just his size. “How much longer until we reach the library?” I pant. Jack flicks one of his ears. “A few seconds.” Not helpful. Jack turns sharply and runs into a room. I follow him and gasp. Tables are scattered around the room, cats surrounding them. Computers line the walls. And there are so many cats! Jack laughs nervously. “I got work,” he meows. “See ya round, newbie.” And then he’s gone. I step into the library. Nobody looks at me. Nobody even notices me, despite the quietness. I make my way to an unoccupied chair, and start to read. I start at the very first page. On the inside cover is a note. Admin Rg7WG6hf98F92vhs5 The username and the password! I had it at last! Time to strut my stuff. Pi snarled to himself as he rummaged through a drawer. Why the devil did I give that book to that pesky newcomer? She could be doing anything by now! He swore and slammed the drawer. That book was dangerous. Alpha was going to kill him for losing it. He logged on to the computer and opened up his inbox. He quickly typed a message to Delta. He had to get that book back. And fast. I skim through a chapter of the book about accessing the main electricity system of a building. I had already read the basic chapter about opening files on the computer and stuff; the book’s instructions will be easy to follow. And a weird thing: the book seemed to be written about the school all the files needed to be opened and found are all hidden around the school file-keeping thingy. It seems odd. Step one: open the finder and click on Littlerock_School. Step two: scroll down to mainsysop Step three: click on elecsysop Step four: a window will pop up at the top of the screen. On the window, click open, then wait a second and click trust always. A new window will pop up in the middle of the screen. Move all other windows out of the way. I pause at the fifth step. The first four were easy enough, but what the Dark Forest was I going to do for the next one? I slowly click and hold the mouse on a green sliding thing. I move it to the left, and the lights in the library become dimmer. Oh, so the green thing adjusts the brightness of the school lights! I smile confidently and look down at the book. Step five: The green slider adjusts the brightness of the lights, the green button can switch off the electricity and turn it back on again, and the orange slider controls the heating. It seems simple enough. I avoid the green button, and mildly mess around with the various knobs and sliders. I laugh. Perhaps this mission isn’t so serious as I thought it would be. “What?” Delta shrieked through the phone. “You’ve lost ''it and given it to a newcomer who you’ve decided to train in the art of ''hacking? Who knows what she’s done by now?” Pi glanced anxiously up at the ceiling. “Well I did notice the brightness of the lights change a few times. And the same with the heating.” Delta shrieked in rage. “Just get that book back, quick! She could kill us all!” Pi gritted his teeth. That’s my job. My plan, even. And I’m not going to let that cat ruin it all. “What are you doing?” I turn away from the computer. Behind me stands a she-cat with brown curly fur. Her nose is pointed slightly upwards and she is looking down on me, giving herself a slightly snobby impression. “That’s none of your business,” I meow simply. The brown cat snorts. “You’re not allowed to access the main electricity system. I knew it was you who messed around with the heating and electricity, hunched up there in the corner with your book. I bet that book’s not even in the library system either.” She snatches the book away from me. “Give it back!” I yowl. I lunge towards it, but she throws it to the other side of the room. I snarl and lunge for her throat. “Lottie!” cries out a tom desperately, “No! You’ve gone too far!” A dark yellow tom with a grey strip down his back crashes into Lottie, leaving me to retrieve my book. “She was breaking the rules, Cheddar,” snarls Lottie as she tries to writhe out of the larger tom’s grip. I hurriedly return to the computer. Cheddar turns to me. “Are you allowed to be doing that?” he asks me firmly. “I have permission from Pi,” I retort back. “He gave me this book.” I show the book to him. Cheddar quickly scans the cover and shrugs. “It’s not in the school library system. You can keep it. But get out. Now.” I sigh with relief and hurry out of the library. I am almost about to turn to go down a corridor before a wailing noise fills my ears. That’s not a cat, surely? “Breakfast!” yowls a cat happily a few metres away. A door opens to my left and a fat black cat comes out. “Follow the scent of food,” he hisses, “And try not to get trampled.” He disappears, and I start to run blindly down the corridor. I catch a whiff of warm food and hurtle down the corridor as if my tail was on fire. I smile daringly to myself. How about some parkour? I pick up my speed and place a paw on the wall. Soon I’m running on the side of the wall. I jump over the gaps of doorways and windows. The scent of food is so strong, that it blocks out all other smells of the school. I turn sharply into a large room filled with rows of tables and chairs. At one end is a table filled with holes of food. I smile and trot casually over. “What’s for breakfast?” I ask after placing a tray and the book on the railing thingy. The cat behind the counter smiles back. “Eggs and bacon, same as always. I guess you’re a newcomer here?” “Yep. My name’s Nuts.” “Nice to meet you.” The serving cat dollops a ladle of yellow mush on my plate. “Scrambled eggs,” she grins, showing a row of yellow, broken teeth. She uses some oversized-tweezer thingies so get some bacon on my plate. “Have a nice time here, dear.” I find a spot to sit and start to eat my eggs. I hear a noise next to me and see Cheddar settle down beside me. “Thank goodness we got our food before everyone else started to queue up.” “Yeah.” I make a start on my bacon. “How long have you been living here?” Cheddar shrugs. “About a few months.” I think of another question. “Do you have a specific job or skill?” “Yeah. Peacekeeper. I help to keep the peace between cats within the school. What about you?” His eyes widen as I say “Hacker.” “So that’s why you had that book!” he gasps. “I heard it’s dangerous!” “I have permission!” I protest, baring my teeth. “Why would I want to injure a cat?” “Who knows what your plans are,” shrugs Cheddar. I growl in annoyance. “What’s your name, by the way?” “Nuts,” I answer. “Cool. I’m Cheddar, by the way.” “I heard,” I mutter. “Hey, less with the attitude! And the brown cat from earlier was Lottie. She’s a bit of a snob, I have to admit, but she has a sweet nature you have to break the surface to see.” Cheddar smiles at me. “Personal experience.” Right on cue, Lottie dumps her tray next to Cheddar. “So what’s the topic of conversation?” she asks sweetly. Deep down I knew she had heard the whole thing. “We were just introducing ourselves.” I look at her; not exactly a challenging stare; nor a hostile glance; just a look. “Well I’m Lottie. Apologies for the skirmish earlier. I’m quite unsettled around newcomers.” Lottie manages a small smile. “It’s okay. I’m Nuts.” I offer her a paw to shake. We shake paws and smile. “Friends, all three of us?” “Friends,” we all say. I knock on Pi’s office door. “I came like you asked me to, sir.” The door swings open, and Pi stands there with an artificial grin on his face. “Ready for your lesson, Nuts?” I nod. This is creepy. Something about this isn’t right. I log on easily, remembering the password. Pi gasps. “How did you do that?” I shrug. “I learnt using the book.” Pi quickly scribbles something on a notepad. “Complete these tasks, using the book to help you. I want to see if you’re capable of doing your assessment. I read the tasks and start to work. “Good,” purrs Pi. “Now, I need to check on something in the school. You’re capable of completing the tasks, right?” I nod, and the door closes behind me. Pi paced the corridor. He remembered the two cats who came in with Nuts, and left. One was creamy-coloured with silver flecks, the other was white with black swirls. He shot up straight. Oh. My. Lord. It was them: Snarl and Silence. He snatched his phone from a nearby table. He quickly dialled a familiar number. “Sigma,” he purred, “Did you see the newcomer at the F.R.O.S.T. centre a few days ago?” A voice crackled, “Silence and another cat, white. Ask Delta to check the cameras in there to see if there was a disguise put on the white newcomer.” “Silence, Snarl, and the suspected newcomer came here this morning. I heard one of them call her ‘Snowpaw’. I’ll ask Delta to analyse the security footage around the lake. This is crucial information. She has the book.” On the other end of the phone line, Sigma stifled a gasp. “Is she with you now? Has she done anything?” “Yes to both of those questions,” Pi growled firmly. “I have a rough idea of her assessment. I have to intimidate her so she doesn’t step out of line.” “You do have the page, though?” Sigma sounded concerned. “Under lock and key,” Pi reassured her. “Nothing to worry about.” “Good. Keep the page safe, ask Delta, keep an eye on the newcomer.” “You’re not one to give me orders,” Pi snarled. Sigma whimpered. “Just keep the plan under control. She could ruin it all.” Pi ended the call, and took a deep breath. He didn’t expect things to be so hard. “Done!” I yowl. Pi hurries in. I notice a worried, slightly frightened expression on his face, but he soon changes it to a wide smile. What was he worried about? He shoves me aside and checks to make sure everything’s correct. “Good,” he purred. “You certainly learnt a lot from that book.” I puff out my chest. “I did.” He reaches across the desk and grabs the book. “I don’t think you’ll need this anymore.” He has a point, ''I remind myself. “Go and explore,” he tells me. “You deserve it. It helps to know where to go and the best routes to places.” He smiles as I exit his office. “Finally,” I hear him mutter as the door closes behind me. Something is definitely not right here. “Nuts!” exclaims Cheddar as I enter the library. “I was wondering where you were!” “I had to meet Pi,” I meow. “He told me to explore, but I didn’t want to get lost so I went to find you.” “You came to the right place,” Cheddar purrs. “Come on, Lottie! We have a tour to lead!” Lottie whoops in delight and runs to our table. “Where do we start?” Cheddar ponders for a bit. “How about the cafeteria?” he asks. “It’s like, the centre of the school.” “Whatever you say, captain.” Lottie shakes out her fur. Cheddar races out of the library, with me and Lottie behind him. When we reach the cafeteria, Cheddar directs us to a nearby table and asks the serving cat for a few mugs of hot chocolate. “So we work our way through the north part of the school, then the east, then the south, and so on.” Cheddar looks at each of us in turn, and we nod. He jumps up and walks over to a door reading ‘North Exit’. “Come on!” he calls. “What are you waiting for, lunch?” Lottie runs over to him, looking at me as if to say ‘catch up’. Soon we’re all out of the door, and walking down a corridor. “Most of the rooms on the side are classrooms,” Cheddar explains, “During school hours, they’re forbidden. Crammed with twolegs. Us cats have to stay in the shadows, away from any twolegs. Food is hard. Even the cafeteria is occupied all the time!” “Sounds harsh,” I meow. Cheddar continues, “And the twolegs are coming back in a few days! I’m so nervous!” He drops his voice to a whisper, “Cats have been caught, taken, and never seen again.” I shudder at the thought of that happening to me. “How often does it happen?” I ask him. “Once a week, once a fortnight if we’re lucky,” Lottie butts in, “Some cats just have no sense of risk or danger.” We walk in silence for a few minutes, before making a U-turn and heading back the way we came. “It’s all classrooms, basically,” explains Cheddar. “There’s a main hall somewhere where we all sleep. Let’s just ditch the tour and head there. It’s important to know where it is, as it’s the most important room to us. It’s a socialising place, a place where Sir makes announcements and speeches, and it’s where we all gather in an emergency as well as the main bedroom. And like the classrooms, it’s evacuated as the school term starts.” “Thanks for the info,” I nod. We reach a set of double doors and Cheddar slams into them, pushing them both open. I gasp as I realise the size of the place; it’s huge! The biggest room I’ve ever seen! Mats are strewn all over the floor, with some cats napping on them. Some others are sitting in groups, chatting. I spot Jack talking to a few small scared cats. I strain my ears to pick up on their conversation. “It could have meant anything,” Jack tells them firmly. “Where did you find it anyway?” His eyes widen as one of the cats whisper the answer to him in his ears. “You shouldn’t have been there!” Jack snarls. “But we were curious, Jack!” pleads one of the cats, a pale grey tabby. “Curiosity killed the cat!” Jack reminds them as he turns to walk away. “Never go there again, do ya hear me?” “Crystal clear, Jack!” giggles a she-cat in the group. Jack sighs and hurries out of the room. I turn my attention back to Lottie and Cheddar. They are sitting side by side, in deep conversation. Cheddar notices me watching and nudges Lottie to shut up. “This is called the Hall,” Cheddar informs me. “It’s called that by twolegs and cats alike.” He stretches and trots off towards the doors. “Should we explore the grounds now? I feel like wanting some fresh air.” Lottie purrs. “Sure. Coming, Nuts?” she asks me. I shrug and follow them outside. I embrace the wind blowing around me, the beautiful sounds of the outdoors. If only my mission is as simple as enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. Pi watched the ten pictures Delta had sent him flash upon the screen. One caught his eye. Silence standing beside a white-as-snow she-cat while another white cat pads away from them. He had watched the pictures and security footage before, how two clan cats had come to twolegplace and one had left. ''The cat who stayed is Nuts! Or Snowpaw. He grinned evilly. He logged onto the computer, and checked if the file was still there. Clancam. ''Yes. It was finally there. ''She knows, I know, and now let the tiny truth be revealed. Pi’s voice crackles over the intercom; “Nuts, please come to my office for your assessment.” My heart starts to beat faster. My assessment is so soon? “You’d better go,” Cheddar nods, “He’s a very impatient cat.” We’re all sitting on tree branches in a secluded area of the school grounds. It’s hard to see the school through the thick screen of leaves. I push my way through and start running. “Good luck!” Lottie calls after me. “I’m sorry for a change of schedule,” Pi meows, “I was so excited I couldn’t wait any longer! Have you had a nice time here so far?” I had already suspected something. “Oh, yes, sir.” “Good,” he purrs. He steps aside so he isn’t blocking the doorway. “I have a new, but fairly challenging task for you. Nothing you’ve done before, but hopefully you know the basics.” I nod and quickly log on, easily reciting the password. “Open the file ‘Cambase’.” I search the screen and eventually my gaze lands on the correct file. I open it, and now I see a list of more files. Weird thing is, they all end in ‘cam’. I skim through the list: HAcam, Mountcam, and Queencam are some of the ones that stand out. As I read Clancam, my heart beats like a hummingbird’s. Oh… my… Starclan. This cat has been watching me all my life. Pi reads out another instruction, and it all happens in slow motion. “O…pen…Clan…cam…” No! No! How could he know? “O…pen…Thunder…cam…” No! No! ''My mind is screaming now. I click on it lightly, and squeezed my eyes shut. I open them, one at a time, and see my first ever home. The Thunderclan camp. There’s Wolfpaw, Nightpaw, and all the other cats. I guess they’re warriors now. A tear runs down my face and plops silently onto the desk. ''But no Thunderpaw. He’s dead. I break down into sobs, my whole body shaking. I raise my head to look at Pi, who’s standing by the door with a menacing expression on his face. “How much do you know?” I whisper. He laughs coldly. “I know a lot more than you think, Snowpaw.”